Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Opuntia ficus-indica - Sweet Prickly Pear, Indian Fig
Edible Portion: Fruit, Seeds, Stems, Vegetable
A tree like cactus. It grows to 2-5 m tall. It has many branches. It is spreading and bluish-green. It has succulent pads. The joints are 20-40 cm long by 10-20 cm wide. The spines are 2-3 cm long. Spineless kinds also occur. The flowers are large and yellow. They grow on the borders of the pads. The flowers open in the daytime. They are 70-100 mm long. The filaments are pale yellow. The fruit are barrel shaped. They are 50-90 mm long. They turn yellow when ripe. There are several seeds. There are several cultivated varieties.